What is the referral mechanism being used by your organization including documentation? Respondent B – of it involves physical injury, I personally refer the victims to a doctor for proper medico-legal examination, after which I tell them to report the case to the PNP. We maintain our own documentation as part of CODI functions Respondent C – we refer victims of physical violence to the PNP to arrest the perpetrator/s. Otherwise, we refer them to the local DSWD office. Recommendations Respondent B – there should be a law and counseling expert in all organizations that cater to women’s and children’s rights Respondent A – it is highly recommended that there should be a standardized gender handbook which all organizations can use and implement Respondent C – we suggest that awareness campaigns should be intensified to reach more women. It is also recommended that student body organization be tapped to mobilize and organize activities to increase awareness campaigns in schools and universities KEY TAKEAWAYS Based from the responses for this FGD round, some key takeaways that should be noted are the following: 1. A gender database is currently being established by the GAD technical working group in coordination with the Planning and Development Office in the City of San Fernando, La Union. The data were culled from the Community-Based Monitoring System which aimed to gather essential information from all households living in CSF. Other regional line agencies including the Public Attorney’s Office and the City Prosecutor also have their own intake forms and maintain their respective databases. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines also has their own database management system. 2. In terms of local policies, a GAD Code is already in place for the Province of La Union. The City of San Fernando, for its part, has adopted this and is currently working on a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Code which will serve as an amendment to the GAD Code. Other local ordinances have also been enacted to protect women, children and LGBTQI persons from all forms of discrimination and its corresponding penalties. 3. Based from the cases being handled by the participants, it was observed that most of these were involving violations of RA 9262 or the “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004” and RA 7610 or the “Anti Child Abuse Law” 13 | Page